“There is no clearer illustration of the extent of human dominance of Earth than the fact that maintaining the diversity of ‘wild’ species and the functioning of ‘wild’ ecosystems will require increasing human involvement.” -Peter Vitousek
I am interested in the connection between humans and the natural world, specifically in how we attempt to utilize and manage the environments in which we live.
I obtained my M.S. in Biology from Western Kentucky University with a specific concentration in wildlife ecology and community-based conservation initiatives, where I worked to find ways to quantitatively assess the potential for community-based ecotourism in the Kasigau region of Kenya. Learn more...
I received my Ph.D. in Zoology and the Center for Ecology at Southern Illinois University where I analyzed the capacity of communities to plan and implement conservation initiatives and ways to evaluate the success of such initiatives. I focused on community-based watershed management and conducted focus groups, quantitative surveys and used existing ecological data to assess the ability of such groups to improve environmental indicators over time. Learn more...